From being an Abandoned who had rarely left the Hollowed Grounds, to embracing the call of adventure, to dying and being reborn first as an Ascended and then as an Ancient, Maea has gone through quite the amount of changes in her life. One thing remains common, though, in her attempts to find out just where she belongs; she’s always had a craving for knowledge which has brought her to so many places and to meet so many people here in Caido. We can’t wait to see what else is in store for her!
Congratulations, Maea!
Credits
Court of the Fallen was created in October of 2018 by Odd, Honey, and Crooked.
Skinning and hosting by the epically talented Kaons, and functionality fanciness by the coding magic of Neowulf. If you ever see either of them around, make sure to show them some love!
It's probably not the best time to go gallivanting off to the Climb, what with the change in governor...ship, and with Remi and Ronin travelling, and a new council getting all set up. But there are still people who are sick, those who can't or won't accept what the Voice is offering, and so off Vai goes to see if she can find one of these weird lilies to plonk behind a waterfall.
And of course, where Vai goes... you see where this is headed.
There's been snow, there's been freezing cold, and now there's heat. Stifling and humid, Vai is busy trying to pull her hair up and off her neck as they arrive at Frey's Breath, the witch squinting through steam at the hot springs. "Well," she pants. "I don't know about you, but I think maybe we should just live here instead of going back the way we came."
Fuck portals. Vai has very kindly made you a tea that helps with the overwhelming nausea and motion sickness, but your dislike for portals only grows stronger every time you take one. It doesn't help that most places they lead to are absolute shit - Greatwood excepted you suppose - and, even worse, cold.
It also doesn't help that you're a grumpy old homebody with brine instead of blood, and being this far away from the open ocean makes you feel claustrophobic as all fuck. Then there's the tunnels, which at least feel a bit more like the Fingers, hot and muggy as they are. Before too long you've stripped off your truly absurd quantity of layers and stuffed them in your bag, leaving you in only a linen shirt, pants, and the brace around your arm. Much better, even if you're soaked in sweat. At least this feels right.
"I ain't opposed." You come up behind Vai as she ties her hair, slipping your arms around her waist and planting a kiss upon her neck. "Leave Torchline to th'kids an' spend our days drinkin' mai tais an soakin' inta prunes."
past the wondering eyes of the ones that were left behind
"Gah, no!" Vai's complaint is half-hearted at best, and it's entirely because in a hot springs in a place like the Climb, the last thing either of them needs is more body heat. Still, it doesn't stop her from leaning back and into his arms, her hands moving to rest over the top of his as she turns her head and plants a kiss on his cheek.
"I don't think I've ever had a mai tai," she informs him, sounding quite delighted by the prospect. "Are they good to drink in hot springs?" she wonders.
She's also wondering if they can get away with stripping off and taking a dip in the springs themselves before they do any real work or explorations. What can she say? Vai works hard, and she plays harder.
"They're good t'drink all'a th'time," you reply with a great deal of confidence, your hands journeying brazenly under the hem of her shirt. "Cold'n fruity- orange, pineapple, an'a bottle'a rum. What's not t'love?"
(Many things, this author would argue, but that's neither here nor there).
You're beginning to pull her shirt off her torso when you notice something glittering to your right, at the edge of one of the pools. Thoroughly distracted you relinquish your hold upon the witch, striding over to where the object sits. A moment of silence, your back to her as you try to obscure the view-
- and then you turn around triumphantly, the lily tucked behind your ear, a stupid grin making your face look positivelyyoung, and maybe a little handsome. "Whaddya think, 'm I pretty enough for th'ball?" With glittering in your coffee eyes you snatch her hand, bowing low over it and pressing it to your lips.
past the wondering eyes of the ones that were left behind
The taste of orange, pineapple and rum sounds divine right now, in the clinging heat of the springs, and Vai hums her approval (and it's not just the prospect of the cocktail, either). Leaning into his touch, it's almost a shame that he goes swanning off, the witch pouting over her shoulder as if to ask him what is so important that it negates taking off her clothes. But then of course he does turn, and her expression melds into delight and almost relief - because she is sure that Zeph is well aware that he has found precisely the thing they came for.
Granted, she's not looking at the lily for more than a second or so, completely captivated by the man before her, the way his mischief brings a younger man bubbling to the surface, the feel of his lips against her hand. "More than pretty enough. C'mere, you." Giggling, Vai tugs him closer, leaning in to try and press her lips against his in a kiss.
You let her come in for a kiss (you'll always let her come in for a kiss), feeling very pleased with yourself indeed. And if you're pulling her shirt off as she kisses you, well, really you're just trying to be extra helpful, preparing her for the swim ahead and all that. No ulterior motives here. No sir. Not you.
Once again you reluctantly turn away, returning to your bag to deposit the precious flower into a small box and tuck it within. That done, you strip off your own clothes, turning back to see what progress she's made in that department.
No matter how clothed she is or is not, you waste no time in kneeling and scooping her up, cradling her against your chest with a brazen, brilliant grin. A kiss is laid against her forehead, and then you step towards the spring. "Now, I know we got this flower'n all, but we prob'ly oughta try out th'water too. Y'know. For science."
She'll have a moment to reply or make any final preparations before you stride over towards the lip of the spring and unceremoniously drop the both of you within, half-jumping with her held tight in your arms, the warm water covering you in a delightful, soothing, euphoric wave.
past the wondering eyes of the ones that were left behind
Vai wants to make some comment about him always trying to get her clothes off (because he is, and she loves that about him), but her lips are a little busy, and she balls up the fabric and tosses it towards the entrace when he's turning away from her again and leaving her a mixture of frustrated and admiring his ass. By the time he turns back she's made quite wonderful progress in the being naked department, giggling as she's swept up into his arms. "For science? I don't think I could argue with that if I wanted to," she tells him, only to realise he's taking them promptly towards the edge of the springs.
"Zeph--!" Vai wiggles about in his arms, but it's too late - thankfully, the springs are soothing and hot and everything that she could have asked for, and as they dip beneath the surface and bob up again, she's already turning to kiss his cheek. "Did I ever tell you that you're a genius?" she asks. "Because you are."
You emerge from the water with an aggressive shake of your head, salt-and-pepper curls sending a spray of water flying through the air. The water is soothing, and any pains you may have felt (especially in your arm, and dear gods, what a change of pace that is) melting deliciously away.
And then there's the naked woman in your arms, calling you a genius of all things, which causes you to blush a little. "Can' say I've heard that one before," you murmur, bemused. Stepping back you find a rock that's jutting out conveniently and settle on it, keeping Vai firmly in your lap, arms around her waist without a single intention of letting go.
Your head leans back on another outcropping, and you close your eyes with a blissful sigh, utterly content. "Wonder if we could bring some'a this stuff back'n make a hot tub," you muse, fingers playing with her hair. "Set it up in th'bedroom. Or th'guest room, now it's empty again."
past the wondering eyes of the ones that were left behind
"Aww, lookit you - I didn't mean to make you blush, handsome." Vai grins to him, bobbing happily and weightlessly along in his arms as he moves to settle on an outcrop of stone. Very happy to lounge in his lap, her head lolls against his shoulder and her eyes flutter shut so she can simply enjoy this. And after everything that has happened with this fucking sickness, it's a well-earned fucking break, in her opinion.
She hears Zeph speak as a gentle rumble against her ear, the way his lips form around the words becoming one of her favourite things to listen to. "A hot tub," she echoes, not quite knowing what one is but able to imagine it easy enough from the name. "Running a risk of flooding the house there, aren't you? And-- wait-- what? What happened to Sam?" she asks.
It's such a strange thing, how well she fits against you, her body tucking into yours as though it were designed to do so. Your laughter rumbles against her at the prospect of flooding the house, the prospect remarkably unconcerning to you. "Wouldn' be the first time," you reply with a shrug, fingers moving down to rub gently over her back. Though the question about Sam has you sobering up, your smile giving way to a concerned frown. "He was movin' int'a town, an' then he... left. Went back t'the Grounds with only a note."
This time your sigh is heavy, some of the worries of real life creeping in through the delicious steam. Guilt eats you at the thought, because you know you should check in on the kid, but you've been so fucking busy with the whole plague situation. "Reckon I oughta make sure he's doin' okay. These damn kids. Too many strays t'keep track'a."
Problems for future Zeph. Present Zeph is naked in a hot spring with his even hotter girlfriend. Priorities. "Y'know, if we ain't puttin' a tub in th'spare room, maybe Felix'd like it. Livin' in that cramped governor's place can't be much fun for a growin' kid. I know I always wanted my own room at that age."
past the wondering eyes of the ones that were left behind
"Oh?" Vai grins, peeking up at him and relaxing against the gentle touch in her hair and against her back, but before she can inquire more about Zeph's flooding of the house, he's talking about Sam, and now both of them are worried. "That doesn't sound like him," she says slowly, her brows furrowing, but as she catches the tension start to work through him, she reaches up to press a hand to his cheek, giving his head a gentle shake. "No," she scolds playfully. "We'll check on him - both of us. But we'll do it when we get back to Torchline."
Nothing is going to stop her from enjoying this hotspring with her (even hotter) boyfriend, and she leans in to silence him with a kiss for a moment as if that might help matters along. And it seems to, given the trajectory of the conversation from there, and Vai sits up a bit to flash a cheeky grin in his direction. "Hang on..." She tilts her head. "A room for Felix... if I didn't know any better, I would swear you are asking us to move in with you, Zeph."
Her kiss does go a long way towards taking your mind off Sam, you leaning forward to deepen it, letting the flavor of her tongue chase away your worries once again. Humming contentedly when the touch does break, you settle back against the edge of the pool, tension melting away like sweat.
One eye cracks open again at her question, her cheeky grin met with an utterly serious expression on your part. "Oh, no, I ain't doin' that," you clarify solemnly and slowly, as you might explain a business transaction. Beneath the water your hand wanders down the small of her back, the other one settling on her thigh. "Sorry t'give ya th'wrong impression. I'm invitin' Felix t'move in with me."
Hand now settled on her ass, you open your other eye and look down at her, mischief in your coffee gaze, expression now shifting into a very self-satisfied smirk. "You, taku kairangi, got no choice in th'matter. My people're comin' t'morrow t'haul yer stuff."
past the wondering eyes of the ones that were left behind
Vai falls for it hook, line and sinker, and she's tilting her head at him as he explains like she's a little bit slow on the uptake. By the time she spies the mischief in his warm, dark eyes, she's already grinning as well, Vai splashing water at him for good measure. "Oh is that so," she drawls, laughter threatening at any moment. "Why, Zeph, I wasn't aware that you had people." Shifting in the water (so his hand can better settle on her ass, and so she can sit astride him), her hands press against his chest.
"So I suppose by the time we get back, all of my things will be at your place?" she guesses. "My, it's almost as though you planned this little venture. I wouldn't be surprised to find that Felix was in on this too." Still, there's nothing about this arrangement that seems to faze or upset her, Vai leaning in for a soft kiss. "I love you," she murmurs.
